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Adhering to the benevolent Zhang Yan clan Yao clan, until the Yao Guang generation is still rich in family wealth, but the awareness and responsibility of adhering to poetry and inheriting family culture are stronger. Yao Guang paid equal attention to literature and culture, Shang Yishan, Hongshi Wen, lifelong thrift, and helping others became a common thing. Yao Kunyu, who still lives in Zhangyan, is the son of Yao Guang's cousin. The old man recalled that the Yao family was known as "Yao Banzhen" in Zhangyan, and although the Yao family was a big household, Yao Guang had always been easy and gentle, often helping the neighbors.
Yao Guang paid attention to the sufferings of the people when he was a teenager and wrote an article "Investigation of the Sufferings of Jinshan Peasants". In order to improve the river channel in his hometown, as early as 1917, Yao Guang participated in the preparation of the opening of the Zhangjing River, served as a financial administrator, raised funds, and personal donations were the first in Zhangyan Town. In addition, migrant workers were also organized on site to open rivers, borrow machines, and do their own work. After 1923, it continued to open Shenjing, Xiaoqiaohe, Dongshi River, Shantang, Old Port, Huigaojing, etc. In the famine of 1920, the price of rice soared, and there was a wave of rice robbery in various places, Yao Guang went all out to organize Zhangyan Pingpu, took out his own 250 stone of stored rice to donate as Pingpu, and the money from the sale was repurchased with rice Pingpu, and repeatedly paid more than 1,000 stones of rice at a flat price. In 1925, he presided over the Zhangyan Infant Bureau.
As a generation awakened on the land of China, Yao Guang had a big mind and great righteousness, worried about the country and the people when he was a teenager, and was indignant about the corruption and loss of power and humiliation of the Qing court, and named himself Yao Guang, which implied the desire to expand traditional culture and look forward to national rejuvenation. Yao Guang was the first to join the Southern Society and was one of the earliest and youngest members. Prior to that, he had joined the China League led by Sun Yat-sen. At that time, he generously donated to the revolutionary activities and book printing of the Nanshe, and fully supported the establishment and development of the Nanshe, and later succeeded Liu Yazi as the director of the Nanshe.
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Yao Guang devoted his life to the revitalization of Chinese Studies, joined the Society for the Preservation of Chinese Studies founded in Shanghai in his early years, and established an academic society "Chinese Studies Business Association" in Zhangyan with his uncle Gao Xie (Gao Chuwan) and his cousin Gao Xu, with the purpose of "supporting the country and exchanging old news", and Yao Guang served as the chairman. After May Fourth, the cultural and academic spirit was rebuilt, which became the conscious consciousness and responsibility of Yao Guang and a group of literati, and also their academic commitment to continue their studies for the saints.
Yao Guang devoted himself to the compilation of the "Jinshan Art Literature" for more than 20 years, initiated the organization of the Jinshan County Jian Society, and edited and published the first and second issues (that is, 1935 and 1936) of the "Jinshan County Jian". When Yao Guang died, "Jinshan Art Literature" completed 6 of the 8 parts, and the second sister Yao Zhuxiu continued to edit with the pain of losing her brother, and finally fulfilled her brother's last wish a few years later, making this monograph complete and achieving a good story comparable to Ban Zhao's "Zhao Continuation Gushu". After 18 September, Yao Guang participated in the establishment of the Jinshan Anti-Japanese Salvation Congress and the Relief Association, publicized the War of Resistance, and did his best to give material support to express his deep feelings for his homeland and country.
Unlike his ancestors, he helped build his hometown in many ways. In 1907, together with Gao Xu and He Xianchun, he founded the Qinming Girls' School in his hometown, flaunting equality between men and women, which was the first girls' school in Zhangyan and the first local custom. Yao Guang served as a teacher of literature and history, and personally compiled the "Jinshan Township Land Science Textbook". Qinming Girls' School remained open until 1936, training a new generation of women, and later merged with Shanggong School to form Zhangyan Gongming Primary School. In order to strengthen the training of teachers, in 1924, he actively participated in the establishment of seven county girls' normal schools including Songjiang, Qingpu, Jinshan and Shanghai. In October of the following year, he founded the Zhangyan Library with Gao Junding, Gao Junjie, He Xianchun, Cao Zhongfu, etc., and personally served as the director, and all expenses in the library were borne by Yao Guang.
Yao Guang's wife, Wang Can, was also kind and charitable, with Hu Qingyutang's bruise plaster at home all year round, and a potion in the summer, and many cotton clothes made in advance every year, which were used to help the poor villagers in the neighborhood in the winter. After winter, tenants came to Yao's house to deliver grain, and she would always let the kitchen prepare a sumptuous lunch to entertain them; Some brought children, and asked people to bring candy and pastries to the children.
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Source: Jiefang Daily (Author: Gao Yan)
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